Kaori Sakamoto
|place_of_birth = Kobe, Japan|began_skating = 2004 (Age 4)|combined = 187.81 - 2016 JGP Japan}}'Kaori Sakamoto '(born April 9, 2000) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2017 Japan junior champion, the 2015 Japanese junior national silver medalist, and the 2016 JGP Japan champion. Personal Life Kaori's hobbies include swimming and origami. Career 2016-17 Season Kaori's season began at the 2016 JGP France in Saint Gervais. She received second place after performing a near-clean short program and freeskate, behind Alina Zagitova. Kaori's second Junior Grand Prix event was at 2016 JGP Japan in Yokohama. She led the short program by 0.80 points. In the freeskate, she placed second after under-rotating a jump, behind Marin Honda. She received the highest overall scores, and she won a Junior Grand Prix event for the first time, qualifying her for the 2016-17 JGP Final. At the 2016-17 JGP Final, Kaori placed second in the short program, with 6.44 points behind Alina Zagitova of Russia. 2015-16 Season Kaori's first major competition of this season was at 2015 JGP Latvia in Riga. She received the third highest score in the short program after only missing an edge on the triple lutz. Despite a fall in the freeskate, she was able to manage second place in the freeskate and overall, behind Maria Sotskova. Kaori's second Junior Grand Prix event was at 2015 JGP Poland in Torún. She finished the short program in third place after a fall, and finished the freeskate in fourth after falling twice. This put her in fourth place overall, and she was subsequently named as the first alternate for qualifying for the 2015-16 JGP Final. After placing 5th and 13th at Japanese junior and senior championships respectively, Kaori qualified for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. At the Youth Olympics, placed fifth in the short program and sixth in the freeskate, after doubling a triple loop. This resulted in an overall sixth place. 2014-15 Season Kaori's first major competition of this season was at 2014 JGP Japan. She was situated in sixth place after the short program. During the freeskate, she sustained three falls and ended up in seventh place overall. Kaori qualified for her first Junior Worlds after placing 2nd and 6th at Japanese junior and senior championships respectively. At Junior Worlds, she placed 4th in the short program. A fall during the freeskate caused her to drop to sixth place overall. 2013-14 Season This season was Kaori's first international season. Her first major competition was at 2013 JGP Czech Republic. She was in seventh place after the short program. She placed sixth in the freeskate and overall after receiving deductions for falling and performing for longer than the allotted time as a result of the fall. She failed to qualify for Junior Worlds after placing 15th at Japanese nationals. Programs ISU Results (Season bests highlighted in bold) Medal Record (In Chronological Order) Small Medal Record (Awarded at ISU Championships Only) Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaori_Sakamoto https://www.statsonice.com/skater/Kaori/Sakamoto/ http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00014151.htm http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wsladies.htm[[Category:Figure Skaters]] Category:Singles Category:Japanese skaters Category:Juniors Category:Seniors Category:Youth Olympians Category:April Births Category:Sonoko Nakano Category:Mitsuko Graham Category:Junior National Champions Category:Junior Grand Prix Final Medalists Category:Figure skaters of Japanese descent